[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 126 (Tuesday, September 25, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1736-E1737]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                VOLUNTARY SEPARATION INCENTIVE PAYMENTS

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                          HON. DARLENE HOOLEY

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 25, 2001

  Ms. HOOLEY of Oregon. Mr. Speaker, as part of an effort to reduce the 
federal work force within the United States Forest Service, Forest 
Service employees were offered the opportunity to participate in a 
``voluntary separation incentive payments'' program a few years ago. 
This program was included in the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food 
and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 
1997 (P.L. 104-180). As part of the agreement, employees were paid 
$20,000; in exchange, they agreed to retire and not be employed by any 
federal agency for at least five years; if they were re-employed by the 
federal government they would have to forfeit all or part of the money 
from said agreement.
  However, there has been a severe shortage of qualified firefighters 
to combat the extraordinary number of forest fires throughout the 
country over the past several years, specifically in the West. Many 
retired Forest Service employees have been asked to help fight many of 
these blazes, unfortunately many of them cannot without risk of 
forfeiting the payments they received through the buyout program.
  My bill will amend Public Law 104-180 to allow former Federal 
employees who received voluntary separation incentive payments under 
the Department of Agriculture program to accept employment with the 
Federal Government once again, without loss of their payments, as long 
as their employment is directly related to fighting forest fires.
  At a time when we need qualified, willing, well-trained individuals 
to fight these fires more than ever before, it's egregious if we do not 
change this law to allow these brave men and women to fight the fires 
that threaten our forests, wildlife, and our homes without having

[[Page E1737]]

to worry about forfeiting past reparations they've received from the 
government.

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